Empirical evidence is insufficient to support or refute claims that increased competition in the training market in Australia will produce the benefits proponents claim or the severe drawbacks upon which opponents speculate. Research about strengthening demand suggests competitive processes would be feasible in most areas. Research is conclusive…

Foreign students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities form a substantial proportion of the student population. The majority of these students come from Asia and most often choose to study business, management, and engineering. The number of female foreign students is rising. The foreign student population has special educational, social, and…

The following are expectations about employer-provided training: (1) the incentive to provide general training arises largely because of transaction costs in the labor market, despite adding value to a worker's productivity when working for a range of employers; (2)employers sponsor training in specific skills since they are likely to reap the…

In autumn 2001, the United Kingdom's (UK's) government published the following key documents concerning workforce development: (1) "In Demand: Adult Skills in the 21st Century"; (2) "The UK Productivity Challenge"; and (3) "Building a Stronger, Fairer Britain in an Uncertain World." Key positions and policies included…

Since the publication of the original report, entitled "Fiscal Profile of America's Public Schools, 1981-85, and Associated Energy Implications," the national school revenue picture reveals: (1) a decline in federal aid to education, (2) a decline in state fiscal capacity, (3) a reduction in the state-local portion of public l 826/827 sector…

This essay reviews research pertaining to the relative merits and drawbacks of expanding family choice in public education. A primary objective is to identify and explore tensions among competing objectives in the design of expanded choice systems. After an introductory section on goals and definitions, the second section explores how more family…

This discussion paper explores interactions among formal learning, informal learning, and life conditions and opportunities experienced by aboriginal people in Canada. The contradictory importance of education for aboriginal people is examined with respect to three related aspects of these relationships. First, the paper summarizes students'…

This volume is a survey of more than 125 Australian apprenticeship and traineeship references from 1985-99. Each item identifies author/editor/organization, date, title, organization and place of publication or development. A "key" provides a descriptive phrase relating to the reference type, such as an industry-body paper on training…

A synthesis of research findings addressing effects of population and economic changes on education supply and demand in rural communities also presents policy implications, to help with local decision making. Principal research findings listed include: lack of a statistical relationship between per pupil expenditures and achievement on…

This paper synthesizes issues and directions that a review of Australian apprenticeship and traineeship literature suggested. An overview discusses the paper's basis, which was a survey of 125 Australian references from 1985-99. Chapter 2 categorizes issues into seven groups, discusses them, and draws out salient themes. (The groups concerned…

Non-metropolitan Australia is diverse in terms of population density, educational experiences of the population, and the occupations and industries it supports. Rural adults are less likely to have post-school qualifications and work in manufacturing, property and business services, or finance and insurance. They are more likely to be older, have…

A survey called the Literacy Check-Up was conducted in South Carolina's Lancaster and Chester Counties in April-May 2000. The survey was designed to identify existing literacy services, determine how well the area's existing literacy programs were meeting participants' needs, and determine the community's capacity for serving adults in need of…

This two-volume document reports on a study of globalization and Australia's training market. Volume 1 begins by examining debate on globalization and industry training in Australia. Discussed next is the study methodology, which involved field studies of the metals and engineering industry in South West Sydney and the Hunter and the information…

A study examined irregular workers and vocational education and training (VET) centered on laborers in the Korea's manufacturing industry. The study established that, despite the increasing number of irregular workers in Korea, existing VET programs for them fall far short of those for regular workers. Compared with regular workers, irregular…

The skills and education/training implications of the development of electronic commerce in the United Kingdom's retail industry and its associated supply chain were examined. The major data collection activities were as follows: a literature review; consultation with leading academics and advisers; an e-mail-based call for information from…